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7th GRADE
SOCIAL STUDIES
TEACHER NOTES: Southwest Asia
Geographic Understandings
STANDARD/ELEMENT
SS7G5 The student will locate selected
features in Southwest Asia (Middle
East).
a. Locate on a world and regional
political-physical map:
Euphrates River, Jordan River,
Tigris River, Suez Canal, Persian
Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, Arabian
Sea, Red Sea, and Gaza Strip.
EU- Location: The student will
understand that location affects a
society’s economy, culture, and
development.
b. Locate on a world and regional
political-physical map the
nations of Afghanistan, Iran,
Iraq, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and
Turkey.
EU- Location
TEACHER NOTES
The intent of this standard is for students to be able to locate
selected countries and major physical features in Southwest
Asia using a world and regional political-physical map.
Students are expected to be able to use a political-physical or
physical map to locate where in Southwest Asia the listed
physical features are located. They should be able to locate the
physical features either on a world map or regional map of
Southwest Asia, Asia or Eurasia.
For the CRCT, students will be provided a political-physical or a
physical map and asked to locate a specific physical feature
from the element. There are two ways this element may be
assessed. The question may name a physical feature and ask
students to locate the feature on a map, or a physical feature
will be identified on a map and the student will be asked to
give its name.
Students are expected to be able to use a world and regional
political-physical map to locate listed countries in Southwest
Asia, Asia, or Eurasia.
For the CRCT, students will be provided a political-physical map
and asked to locate a specific country from the element. There
are two ways this element may be assessed. The question may
name a country and ask students to locate this place on a map,
or a country will identified on a map and the student will be
asked to give its name.
There are no sample questions for SS7G5.
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Social Studies  GRADE 7  Southwest Asia Teacher Notes
06/23/2009  Page 1 of 21
Copyright 2009 © All Rights Reserved
One Stop Shop For Educators
STANDARD/ELEMENTS
SS7G6 The student will discuss
environmental issues across Southwest
Asia (Middle East).
TEACHER NOTES
The intent of this standard is to have students investigate
several major environmental issues in Southwest Asia. Students
should be able to discuss how the specific environmental issues
identified in the elements affect the economies and population
of Southwest Asia. A student should understand the specific
aspects of the issues in the element, but based on the standard
should also be able to provide some background on the issues
and their consequences.
a. Explain how water pollution and
the unequal distribution of
water impacts irrigation and
drinking water.
In this element, the student is asked to explain the impact of
two significant issues surrounding water in the region. The first
is the issue of unequal distribution of water. A limited amount
of time, perhaps a small part of a class period, should be spent
helping students understand the importance of water to the
region. Students should be able to discuss the impact of water
shortages in the region and problems associated with the
control of water resources, such as building dams, and potential
consequences of such actions. The second issue is that of
pollution. Students should be able to explain the reasons for
water pollution, the extent of the pollution, and the
consequences for the region economically (agriculture,
irrigation) and for the population (drinking water). To extend
this element, students may examine ways these two issues are
being resolved by some countries.
EU-Human Environmental Interaction:
The student will understand that
humans, their society, and the
environment affect each other.
Sample Questions for Standard SS7G6
Turkey’s building a dam on the Euphrates to protect
and ensure their water supply had what effect on
the neighboring country of Iraq?
a. led to an increase in oil export
b. decreased available shipping routes from the
Persian Gulf
c. decreased the amount of travel on the
respective waterways
d. led to the unequal distribution of water *
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Social Studies  GRADE 7  Southwest Asia Teacher Notes
06/23/2009  Page 2 of 21
Copyright 2009 © All Rights Reserved
One Stop Shop For Educators
STANDARD/ELEMENTS
SS7G7 The student will
explain the impact of
location, climate, physical
characteristics, distribution
of natural resources, and
population distribution on
Southwest Asia (Middle
East).
a.Explain how the
distribution of oil
has affected the
development of
Southwest Asia
(Middle East).
EU-Location
TEACHER NOTES
This standard requires students to explain how location, climate, and
distribution of natural resources have impacted population distribution
and trade in Southwest Asia.
In this element, development refers to population and population
distribution, changes in standard of living, and overall economic
development. This element should be taught in conjunction with SS7E7.
For this element, students need to determine where oil fields are located
in Southwest Asia, and which countries do not have access to oil fields. As
part of their learning, students should note the differing development of
countries that do and do not have access to oil. They should compare
indicators of the standard of living, literacy rates, and other measures of
development to assess the impact the distribution of oil has had on
Southwest Asia. The students should be able to use maps, graphs, and
charts to draw conclusions about the impact of oil on Southwest Asian
development.
Description of question format:
For the CRCT, students may be provided a thematic, political-physical, or
political map showing oil distribution. They may also have charts or
graphs with data about population, GDP and/or other indicators of
development. Students will need to make connections between the
distribution of oil and various aspects of development within Southwest
Asia such as literacy rate and standard of living.
b. Describe how the
deserts and rivers of
Southwest Asia
(Middle East) have
affected the
population in terms
of where people
live, the type of
work they do, and
how they travel.
EU-Location
This element focuses on the impact of Southwest Asia’s physical features
on the population (where people live). Students should use a variety of
maps (population distribution, natural resource distribution, climate, and
physical-political) to explain population distribution in relationship to the
deserts and rivers of the region. Students should use different types of
maps found in atlases to learn this element.
The second essential aspect of this element is the impact of deserts and
rivers on the type of work and modes of transportation available for the
region’s population. Students should be able to explain how the factors in
elements “a” and “b” affect the type of work available for the people of
this region and the methods of transportation used.
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Social Studies  GRADE 7  Southwest Asia Teacher Notes
06/23/2009  Page 3 of 21
Copyright 2009 © All Rights Reserved
One Stop Shop For Educators
Sample Question:
For the CRCT, students may be provided a thematic political-physical map,
political map, and/or a chart. Students will be tasked to make connections
between the location of deserts and rivers and where people live within
Southwest Asia. Students may also be asked to explain why people do not
live in certain areas of the region.
Sample Questions for Standard SS7G7
Explain why the population of the Sahara is low.
a. Limited access to water*
b. Limited access to oil
c. Too much oil
d. Too much water
STANDARD/ELEMENTS
SS7G8 The student will
describe the diverse cultures
of the people who live in
Southwest Asia (Middle
East).
a. Explain the differences
between an ethnic
group and a religious
group.
EU – Culture: The student will
understand that the culture
of a society is the product of
the religion, beliefs, customs,
traditions, and government of
that society.
b. Explain the diversity of
religions within the
Arabs, Persians, and
Kurds.
TEACHER NOTES
The intent of this standard is for students to understand the diversity of
cultures in Southwest Asia. It is not necessary for students to understand
all of the nuances of the various cultures of Southwest Asia. Students
should understand what factors make cultures unique, and what factors
differentiate them from other groups. This is a shared standard. Elements
(a) and (c) should be taught in depth when they are introduced the first
time and afterwards they should be reviewed as each new region is
taught.
Before studying the diversity of cultures in any region, students need to
understand the differences between ethnic groups and religious groups.
Ethnic groups share many common characteristics, such as language,
physical appearance, customs, and traditions. Religious groups share a
common belief system, but are not necessarily composed of a single
ethnic group. Students can share examples of different religions and how
these include different ethnic groups. Students should understand that
ethnic groups and religious groups are not defined by political borders.
The intent of this element is not for students to understand in detail the
specifics of each religion of each ethnic group, but rather to grasp the
wide diversity of religious beliefs within selected ethnic groups in
Southwest Asia. Students should know the type of or name of the
religion(s) practiced by each ethnic group. Detailed comparisons are not
necessary; they will do some of this in element c. The Southern Center for
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Social Studies  GRADE 7  Southwest Asia Teacher Notes
06/23/2009  Page 4 of 21
Copyright 2009 © All Rights Reserved
One Stop Shop For Educators
EU - Culture
c. Compare and contrast
the prominent religions
in Southwest Asia
(Middle East): Judaism,
Islam, and Christianity.
d. Explain the reason for
the division between
Sunni and Shia
Muslims.
e. Evaluate how the
literacy rate affects the
standard of living.
EU – Governance: The
student will understand that
as a society increases in
complexity and interacts with
other societies, the
complexity of the
government also increases.
International Studies, World in Transition, The Middle East in Transition
has a very good section on the Kurds, see pages 203-206.
This element is not an evaluation of any religion, nor is it a course in the
belief system of any religion. It is important that students understand the
differences between each of these religions to help them understand the
tensions that exist in the region. Students should understand the
following aspects: all three are monotheistic, all three acknowledge
Abraham as the patriarch of their faith, each has a holy book, each has a
specific place of worship, each one has a different view about Jesus Christ,
and some of these religions share common holy sites in the region but
also have their own unique holy sites. This element is not about the issues
that produce conflict between these religions, rather students should
understand the major differences between these religions.
Some brief information on these religions is available at:
http://www.religionfacts.com/big_religion_chart.htm
This element requires students to understand the historical reasons for
the separation of Islam into two major factions. Students should
understand the importance of this division as it has produced significant
tensions within the Islamic religion. This is not an element that requires
an extensive lesson on the origins and development of Islam, but rather a
short lesson on the end of the hereditary caliphate and the dispute over
qualifications to lead Islam. The Southern Center for International Studies
World in Transition: The Middle East in Transition has an excellent section
titled “Who are the Shia within Islam?” (see pages 209-214) This section
meets the requirements for this element.
This element should be taught using graphs and charts. It should also be
linked with the impact of economics on the ability of a country to improve
literacy and standard of living. It does not matter what country you
choose to use when discussing this element. CRCT questions will ask
students to draw conclusions based on the use of graphs and charts. The
intent is for students to understand the relationship of literacy to the
standard of living of a country. Yemen and Lebanon are two countries in
Southwest Asia that would make a good contrast for this element.
Literacy Rate (Y – 50.2%; L – 87.4%), GDP per Capita (Y - $2,600; L$11,100), Life Expectancy (Y – 63.25; L- 73.66), Unemployment Rate (Y35%; L-9.2%). These are just a few factors to help gauge standard of living.
For updated data, or to find additional factors that represent standard of
living, use the CIA World Factbook
(https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-worldfactbook/index.html) and/or the State Department’s Background Notes
(http://www.state.gov/countries/).
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Social Studies  GRADE 7  Southwest Asia Teacher Notes
06/23/2009  Page 5 of 21
Copyright 2009 © All Rights Reserved
One Stop Shop For Educators
For the CRCT, students may be provided a thematic, political-physical,
political map or a chart. Students will be tasked to make connections
between the region/ countries’ literacy and various aspects of
development within Southwest Asia (i.e. standard of living).
Sample Questions for Standard SS7G8
Although Judaism, Islam and Christianity are similar
The religions of Judaism, Islam and Christianity all
one key difference is
have which characteristic in common.
a. their patriarchal leader
a. sects
b. their view on Jesus Christ
b. polytheistic
c. they have places of worship
c. monotheistic
d. Jerusalem is sacred Christianity alone
d. ethnic groups
The reason for division between Sunni and Shia
Muslims is based on the issue of
a. the issue of women’s rights within the
religion
b. who should control the natural resources of
the region
c. who should succeed Muhammad as leader or
caliph after his death
d. where the geographic center of the Islamic
world should be located
Shia and Sunni are both followers of Islam. The
division lies in who is qualified to be the Caliph or
leader of the religion. The Sunni believe the Caliph
or leader should
a. be born of the line of a caliphate
b. be from Muhammad’s home town
c. have a divine calling for religious ministry
d. be of Muhammad’s bloodline
Civics/Government Understandings
STANDARD/ELEMENTS
SS7CG4 The student will
compare and contrast various
forms of government.
a. Describe the ways
government systems
distribute power:
unitary, confederation,
and federal.
EU - Governance
TEACHER NOTES
This is a shared standard that appears at the beginning of each
Civics/Government section. It is to be taught in depth the first time it is
encountered. In subsequent units, the information should be reviewed
to help students make connections to their new learning. The intent of
this standard is to lay a foundation to help students understand the
basic organization of governments before they attempt to compare
actual governments.
Students should be able to describe the ways governments distribute
power and be able to identify the type of distribution from a
description.
Unitary: characterized by or constituting a form of government in which
power is held by one central authority.
EXAMPLES: Saudi Arabia
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Social Studies  GRADE 7  Southwest Asia Teacher Notes
06/23/2009  Page 6 of 21
Copyright 2009 © All Rights Reserved